PHOENIX — For those in need and wanting a COVID-19 vaccine, Governor Doug Ducey’s administration’s response has been lacking to say the least. On Friday, the governor finally announced that the Arizona Department of Health Services was stepping up its efforts.
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) will open a 24 hours, 7 day a week vaccination site Monday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale. The move expands the availability of COVID-19 vaccine doses in the Phoenix metropolitan area.
“Our new vaccine site in Glendale will rapidly expand the number of Arizonans getting vaccinated,” Ducey said in a press release. “We need to get these vaccine doses out of freezers and into the arms of Arizonans who want it, and our new site will speed up that process.”
The Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) is establishing the site to vaccinate thousands more individuals each day as Maricopa County, the state’s largest county, moves into Phase 1B of vaccine distribution. The start of that phase prioritizes protective service workers, teachers and K-12 school staff, child care workers, and those age 75 and older.
“As we move into a much larger population of Arizonans prioritized for the vaccine, the state is working 24/7 with our local partners to get more doses into the arms of those who need them,” ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ said. “By combining state resources with the support and expertise of fantastic partners, we can get many more doses out of freezers and into the community.”
The State Farm Stadium site will open the afternoon of Monday, January 11 for law enforcement and other protective service workers, and appointments for others in Phase 1B and Phase 1A will be available starting Tuesday, January 12. Registration information for the site will not be posted until Monday morning at azhealth.gov/findvaccine.
As of Friday, only 123,862 Arizonans had received the COVID-19 vaccine, with 2,127 fully vaccinated with both doses so far.